Cooley thinks Haynesworth hates football

During the brief time that Chris Cooley and Albert Haynesworth were Redskins teammates, Cooley says he figured Haynesworth out: He has a natural talent for football, but he doesn’t like it very much.

That’s what Cooley told 106.7 The Fan’s Chad Dukes (via Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post) in an interview in which Cooley said he actually has nothing against Haynesworth, other than the fact that it’s kind of hard to be a teammate of someone who has the ability to be a great player but chooses not to be.

“The thing that I would think about Albert, the way his last three years have played out, is that he hates football,” Cooley said. “I’m not criticizing his character or his work or anything. My only assumption in this — and it’s just an opinion — is that he does not like football, by what I’ve seen over the last three years. If he loved the game of football, he’d show up and love it.”

There’s probably a lot of truth to what Cooley is saying, and it’s probably more common than fans who do love football would like to think: When you’re huge, athletic person like Haynesworth, you’re going to be pushed into football as a child whether you enjoy it or not, and you’re going to keep playing because it can make you rich whether you enjoy it or not, and eventually the fact that you don’t enjoy it is going to become apparent.

It couldn’t be more simply put. If the man loved to play he’d play. This isn’t some skinny computer nerd like me that loves the game but wasn’t given the skills to compete beyond the high school level, if I didn’t show up t practice everyone would understand. But Haynesworth has the ability and by the simple fact that he doesn’t show up to play truly means that he doesn’t want to be there.

Frankly it’s a bit of a slap in the face to those of us who would give almost anything for 1/2 of the talent/size someone like Haynesworth possesses.

I’m an exceptional pianist, but I don’t LOVE music and have this insatiable passion to do it all hours of the day and devote my life to it… so I can kind of sympathize with Haynesworth if this is true. On second thought, he’s one rich dude… screw him!

@djstat: Haynesworth is not a great guy. And that’s not just from his football behavior but from his various run-ins with the law. Punching a guy on a highway, grabbing a waitress’ breasts, injuring a guy in a car accident, complaints from ex-wife that he wasn’t paying his kid’s bills, lawsuit from an exotic dancer, lawsuit from a bank….so no Haynesworth is not probably a great guy.

There is a difference between the man who says “x is my job, not who I am” and the man who says “I am x.” I teach; I’m a teacher. I build houses; I’m a house builder. I play football; I’m a football player.

Oddly enough, he’s been pretty decent here in Tampa so far, and most surprisingly is showing a lot of effort. It might just be that he is completely unwilling to adapt to any system that doesn’t fit him, which is certainly a pathetic stand to take but might be the truth nonetheless.

Maybe he just hates football under Shanahan…I am sure many Skins fans likewise hate football under Shanahan even as they hate Haynesworth.
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Yeah, things worked out for Haynesworth so much better in New England.

By the way, I estimate the over-under on when Haynesworth is out of football and announces he is broke is three years.

it’s also gotta suck for haynesworth to have to carry a 350 pound body around everywhere you go and you’re always running and pounding… but, the guy did take the 100 million. so buddy, suck it up and play with all your heart, because someone paid a very steep price to get your maximum effort on every play, every practice, every film. it’s called work honor.

One of the Pats beat writers made a similar observation awhile back. She said football loves Haynesworth more than Haynesworth loves football. What’s shocking to me is that he fooled BB. BB’s far from perfect but he is usually pretty good at figuring out who loves football and it’s one of his top requirements. So AH is pretty shrewd as well.

This is just stupid “he’s big so naturally he was made to play” lol I’m calling BS on that right now. I know plenty “big” people who don’t play football and make millions. So sell that garbage to someone else.

Many pro athletes hate or dislike the sport they play for millions of dollars each year,just look at your NBA players right now,they average $5.1 million a players per season yet they now refuse to play,losing 50 to 200 grand a game,if they loved basketball they would just sign the contract and not worry that the owners make 1 or 2 % more money than they do a year,I bet if you took a poll the lower and middle ranked NBA players would sign a deal but the top of the NBA who make the most money think only about themselves,if they loved the game that wouldnt happen and we would have games tonight.

Cooley Do you love football or talking on the radio while injured? Seriously though its November we are about to play thanksgiving football why are we talking about Albert, who is sitting on the Bucs roster out of playoff contention, and why are we listening to Cooley who is on the sidelines while the Redskins lose a heart breaker to the Cowboys? I am Cooley fan, I want him to prove that he can still play but who cares on this.

I have a relative who was a first round bust as a LT. He did play over a decade as an average G. I also have a friend who was a first round bust as a RB who played over a decade as a back-up. They both HATED football. This is probably more common than people realize.

It’s perfectly normal to not like or even hate what you do for a living. It it not normal to stomp on people’s heads while they are lying on the ground defenseless or grope waitresses. I may not know much, but I know a scumbag when I see one.

So spare me the they-made-him-do-it defense. He is a con artist of the highest order. Over-under: 2 years after he’s out of football (soon) and convicted of some idiotic crime.

I think most Skins fans would agree Cooleys days in Washington are probably over. So why not go off on Tony Romo, Albert Haynesworth or anyone else that you can. Especially when his arguments are totally accurate. Its not like he is Jerry Rice who makes an opinion with no real basis except “trust me, im Jerry Rice, i know” type demeanor.